Burglar-alarm for suit-cases, satchels, &amp;c.



A. T. RUTHVEN.

BURGLAR ALARM POR SUIT GASES, SATGHELS, dw. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14,1908.

919,385. Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

79 I F 7d, .77222745 /Z'Q/z I.;

. JIM W /0 'zuig d provided with a modified form of the inven' lthatreason the invention is of especial ad- 'of a battery 5.

ARTHUR T. 'RUTHVEN rar-ENT onirica.

, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.A

BURGLAR-ALARM FOR SUIT-CASES, SATCHELS, &c.

fNo. 919,385.

T 0 all whom it 'may Concern: p

Be it known that I, ARTHUR T. RU'ruvnN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Toeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of 'ansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in` Burglar-Alarms forSuit-Cases, Satchels, &c., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a burglar alarm for suit-cases, satchels, &c.,and is arranged togive an alarm the instant the suit-case or lsatchel ispicked up from its resting place.

My objectis to prevent unauthorized persons from walking off withsuit-cases or sat chels Without sounding an alarm and notifying theowner and others of the fact, and for vantage to travelers whofrequently have occasion to leave their property unprotected i in a caror depot for a few minutes.

The invention embodies secret means known to the owner for preventingthe alarm from sounding, hence when said means is setthe suit-case maybe picked up without sounding the alarm.

In order that the invention may be fully Specification of LettersPatent.

Application led January 14, 1908.

Patented April 27, 1909.

Serial N o. 410,804.

i extends upward through an opening 12 in the bottom of the suit-caseand thence over contact point 10, it being held out of engagement withthe. same by the weight of thesuitcase when the latter is at rest upon afloor.

13 designates a circuit-breaker in the upper portion of the suit-caseand consisting of a brush 14 and a contact point 15. Brush 14 is securedto one end of handle 2 by a link 16, the end of the handle havingsufiicient play in its bearing 3 to permit it to move upward far enoughto bring brush 14 into con` tact with point 15, when the suit-case 'islifted. from its resting-place.

17 designates what I term a combinationswitch secured to the top of thesuit-case upon a block of insulating material 18. Saidco1nbination-switch consists of a holld'w, perforated, rotary knob .19provided with an annular ilange2`0 at its lower end, a dialv 21 providedwith a flange 22 overlapping iian e 20, a segmental contact 23 withinthe kno and secured to bloclc18, a brush 24 secured to the inside oftheknob and adapted to engage the segmental contact 23, and a pointer 25which coperates with the dial 21 in setting the understood, referencewill now be made to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1represents a vertical section of a i suit-case provided with myinvention, Figs. 1 2 and 3 are sections of a combination-switch i takenon lines H and III, respectively. Fig. 4 is a diagram of the invention.Fig. 5 is a cross section on line V-V of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 isa brokenvertical section of a suit-case,

tion.`

1 designates the suit-case which is of ordinary construction andprovided with a handle 2, the ends of which are pivotally arranged inbearings 3, secured to the top of the case.

4 designates an electric bell, or other audible signal, for giving thealarm. This bell is actuated by power from a source of motive forcearranged, preferably, in the form Bell 4 is preferablysecured to theoutside of thev case, and when so arranged is protected by a shield 6which is perforated so as not to muftle the soundf the bell.

7 designates a circuit-breaker consisting of a resilient brush 9v` and.a contact point 10. Brush 9 is 4securedto the bottom of thesuitcombination at the desired oint.

26 designates a lam pre 'erably of the incandescent style, whic 1 isscrewed into block 18 and extends upward into knob 19,

27 designates a push-button for closing a circuit between lamp 26 andbattery 5.

The operation is substantially as follows: When the suit-case is placedupon the ioor, or other resting place, its weight will force brush 9upward out of engagement with contact 10. Knob 19 is then rotated tobring brush 24 into engagement with the Segmente. contact 23. Should thesuit-case then'be weight thereof, will immediately spring intoengagement with contact 10 and thus automatically close a circuitbetweenv battery 5 and bell 4 through ya conductor 28 leading from thebattery to the bell, a conductor 29 leading from the bell to contactpoint 10, a conductor 30 leading from brush 9 to the 'segmental contact23, and a conductor .31 leading from bru'sh 24 tobattery 5. With theclosing of the above circuit, another circuit independent thereof, issimultaneously closed by handle 2 moving upward in its 4.bearing andbringing brush 14 into enga ement with contact 15, so that a circuitwill e 'ease by abinding-screw 11, and its free end established frombattery 5 to bell 4 through picked up brush 9, `bein(y relieved ofthc/a5 conductor 28, thence through conductor 29 to a conductor 32leading to brush 14, a conductor 33 leading from contact point 15 toconductor 30, thence through the combination-switch 17 to conductor 31and back to battery 5. When the above circuits are closed the bell willcontinue to ring until the Jfree end of brush 24 is brought into coinciedence with the opening 34 between the ends oil the segmental contact 32.v This may be easily accomplished through the aid of the dial and thepointer, by anyone familiar with the combination.

Should it be too dark to clearly read the dial, lamp-26 is illuminatedby closing the push-button 27 and establishing a circuit between thebattery and said lamp through conductor 28, a conductor 35, a conductor36, and conductor 31. This circuit is independent of the two circuitsabove described, so that it may be closed before the same preparatory tomanipulating the knob 19, through the perforation of which latter therays of'light will shine from the lamp upon the dial and the pointer. g

In the modified form, Fig. 6, the alarm 4EL is actuatedby-a source ofmotive power emanating from a mechanical motor 5a, provided with a disk37 arranged between two brake-shoes 38 39, either of which are adaptedto stop the motor. Brake-shoe 38 is actuated by a connecting-rod 40 anda knob 19a, which latter is rovided with a pointer 25a and is rotatab ymounted in a dial 21a. Brake-shoe 39 is actuated by a rod 41 ivotallysecured at its upper end to the bra e-shoe and extending down through anopening 12a in the bottom of the suitcase, so that when the latter isplaced upon the iioor rod 41 will move upward and force the brake-shoe39 into frictional engagement with the disk. This locks` the motor untilthe suit-case is picked up from the floor, when rod 41 drops anddisengages the brakeshoe 39 `from disk 37, allowing the motor to actuatethe alarm. The alarm continues to sound until the motor is locked byforcing brake-shoe 38 into frictional engagement with the disk, this isaccomplished by turning knob 19Eli in the proper direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combinationwith a suit case, having an alarm and an electrical circuit whichincludes said alarm, means whereby when said suit case is lifted fromits support said alarm will be sounded, and means to render said circuitinoperative including a block of insulating material, a dial formed withaglange, a rotary knob having a pointer and an annular flange engagedbeneath said first flange and seating on said block, a segmental contacton said block, and a brush on the/knob to engage said contact, saidbrush and segmental Contact being included in said circuit.

2. In combination with a suit case, an insulating block, a hollowperforated knob rotatably related thereto and carrying a pointer, a dialon the block to coperate with said pointer, a segmental contact on saidblock, a brush carried by said knob to engage said contact, an alarm, anelectrical circuit including said alarm and said knob and contact, andmeans included in said circuit and arranged on the interior of the knobto illuminate the dial.

3. In combination with a suit case, an alarm, means to sound said alarmupon said case being raised up from its support,.second means to rendersaid iirst means inoperative including a hollow perforated rotatableelement, illuminating means on the interior of said hollow elementarranged so that the rays from said illuminating means will be projectedthrough the perforations of said element to permit operation thereof,and means to operate said illuminating means independent of said alarmsounding means.

In testimony whereof1 I ax my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR T. RUTHVEN.

Witnesses z F. G. FISCHER, M. Cox.

